


Barely Legal Assets

by Cryptocol



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, BDSM, Bartender Eren Yeager, Eventual Smut, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, Model Eren Yeager, Sex, Stripper Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Strippers & Strip Clubs, more to come - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-07-05 04:34:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15856308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cryptocol/pseuds/Cryptocol
Summary: Eren's got it all. Great friends, a modelling career, money...and it all seems to get better the moment he accepts the offer to work at 104 - one of the best strip clubs in town - as a bartender.Or so...he thought he had it all. That was until the new dancer arrived and turned his life upside down. Because there's no one quite like him. And he can't tell whether that's a good thing or not.





	1. Chapter 1

There is no doubt that Eren loves his life. He has amazing friends, enough money to live comfortably, and a kickstarting modelling career. He's pretty much got it all figured out. He's hot. The object of everyone's jealousy. A pretty cool guy, in his opinion. So when Isabel offers him a bartending job at the strip club she works at, he doesn't have to accept. But he does. Beats sitting at home waiting for another call from his agent and binge-watching series he has watched a dozen times.

It's a convenient offer that will provide the club's manager, Pixis (a tall, bald man with the tendency to drink the stock before opening time) a little help now that a notorious French dancer was recently hired and business was sure to pick up. He has no worries walking into the interview. Isabel put in a good word for him and the old man is already tipsy. It's a simple, "Can you pour drinks?" and, once he answers yes, he's hired. He figures that there should be more to the job than just that question but he got it so he doesn't think twice before thanking Pixis and leaving.

Isabel is the one to show him the ins and outs of 104 - pronounced: one-oh-four, as was made sincerely clear to him - and walk him through his duties. She's ecstatic to have him working with her and is eager to introduce him to the rest of the family. He's a fast learner and, with his agent away for a week, within five days he's checking inventory by himself and greeting the dancers as they turn up an hour before their shift. Unlike Isabel, he doesn't wear anything fancy. She dresses mainly in black lace dresses and chunky boots that add to her height. But Eren, he just wears a plain black shirt tucked into skinny jeans and a pine green tie.

He surprises himself the first night he and Isabel are swamped with orders. It's a Friday evening and not even twenty minutes after their shifts started, the club is already filling faster than they can use the taps to fill two glasses. But no matter how many specific instructions and different cards are thrown at him, he never once spills a drink and serves the customers in less than four minutes of their requests. They all seem pretty satisfied.

"I must say, I am highly impressed, newbie," Isabel shouts over the music as she slides behind him to grab the Becherovka. 

"You know not to doubt me, Bella." He looks over his shoulder and winks at her before turning back to the woman fumbling to get her money out of her purse. By the looks of her, she's already drunk. He's definitely going to put more lemonade in her vodka from now on. 

"Yeah well." Isabel waves another customer over and asks if he wants the usual. "I know how easily you get distracted."

Eren snorts a laugh and counts the woman's change, handing it to her with a smile. Isabel ruffles his hair and sticks her tongue out when he complains she messed it up. But they both know his hair is untamable and any attempt to gel it was in vain. 

Once things quieten down, Eren leans against the bar and pulls out his phone. As usual, he is spammed with notifications and scrolls through them to find what he's looking for. Spotting the email from his agent he holds his breath and taps in his password eagerly, heart pounding. He skims through the majority of the email. Notes that Marco will be back on Monday and that he has a few ideas about how they can get Eren's name out in the public. And the bastard left it until the very last line to tell him what he wanted to hear. 

"What's that look for?" 

Eren pushes himself off the bar and thrusts his phone at Isabel. "I got the job!"

A grin spreads across her face and she hugs him, squealing loudly into his ear. "I'm so proud of you! The Corps is a big deal, Eren!" 

The full realisation of the email finally settles in and he starts to laugh, relieved and ecstatic yet still unbelieving. It doesn't seem real somehow. He re-reads the line over and over again. Doesn't even notice Hanji approaching the bar and leaning over it, arms folded, calling for their attention.

"Hey Hanji, how are things?" 

He finally looks up, greets them with a large smile and immediately grabs a glass, getting their usual. 

"You know me too well, Jaeger." Hanji jumps onto the bar and sits with their legs dangling, hands behind them. "Things are fine, Issy. How's business tonight?"

"Great actually," Eren says as he hands Hanji the drink. He runs his eyes over their outfit. Rainbow hot pants, seven-inch thigh high boots, and a glitter waistcoat without a shirt. Definitely his favourite so far. "One Parma Violet Gin for my favourite dancer."

"Ah, you're the best!" They smile and take a sip before placing it on the bar. 

Eren grabs a cloth and wipes down the surface, still running on the buzz from the news about The Corps. He can't wait to tell Mikasa and Armin. "Aren't you up next?"

"Yeah, but I'm making my entrance  _big_ tonight," they reply, throwing their hands in the air. "Gotta give it my all before I become sadly forgotten once shorty gets here tomorrow."

Isabel laughs and ties her short hair into two pigtails. "Call him that to his face and you won't live to feel the pain of being forgotten. You know how Levi gets."

Hanji waves her off and jumps down from the bar, necking their drink, and slams the glass down. "Yeah, yeah. Well, my time has come to shine! Gotta love ya and leave ya!" They wink and strut over to an empty table. 

A collective cheer comes from the crowd the moment Hanji starts whistling. Hanji is the club's favourite. And it's no surprise. As sexy as they are when performing, they never fail to bring the 'fun' into stripping, forever making upbeat routines to cheesy songs as Isabel had told him. He had liked them immediately when he first saw them perform and idolised them, even more, when they explained that they presented as nonbinary. Tonight is no different. 

Hanji twirls on the table and runs their hands up their body as the music starts to play. They smirk at him before turning back to the crowd and flipping their hair, meaning to mock the 'helicopter pony' but it actually looks damn sexy. A slut drop. Hands dragging up their thighs as they stand back up. Yep, Hanji has the crowd going wild.

_\- How do you fit all that...in them jeans? -_

A few people wolf whistle as Hanji pulls the shorts further up their ass and let them go like an elastic band.

_\- You know what to do with that big fat butt -_

And this is where the fun begins. Twerking. Body rolling. Pulling people into them as they pass through the dancefloor and grinding against anyone who approaches them. Hanji is a fucking awesome dancer. But what makes them different from all the rest is their expression. And they never fail to give exactly what people are expecting and more. 

The bar is soon swamped again but once his mind is set to his work, it becomes routine. He definitely finds it easier than modelling. With all the angles that are one degree off, or the flashes that send you blind for an hour, or the perverted old men that hit on the women and sometimes the guys...okay maybe he was exaggerating a bit. But serving demanding customers drinks is far easier than serving demanding businesses the perfect photos. 

"One Rose Maria please," a young woman with blonde, shoulder length hair and bright green eyes framed with silver glitter, says. She smiles at him and pushes a strand of hair behind her ear. She's beautiful. Doesn't overdo her makeup. He almost asks for a name but - 

"What the fuck is a Rose Maria?" He checks the menu. Nope, definitely not on there. 

"I got this!" Isabel grabs three bottles and smiles at the customer. "It's a new drink we will be serving now that Levi has been hired. I'll teach you later, take care of my customers."

She leaves him to trudge over to the opposite side of the bar as she pours the drink easily and finishes it off with a small black straw. It's a shame to see the girl walk away without having a chance to catch her name but he can't think about that now. He has orders to complete. 

Yet another Rose Maria is ordered and, luckily, he had managed to catch the names of the bottles Isabel put back on the shelf and hoped that he didn't mess it up. The customer didn't throw the drink back at him so that was a good sign, right?

But the drink left him thinking about the new dancer. 

Levi, huh? Even has his own drink. Must be quite the charmer. 

 

\----

 

"A little to the left."

He follows the instructions and tilts his head slightly. He's currently leaning against a greyed wall, one leg lifted to push against it. One of his arms is tucked behind his back and the other hovering at his waist. He's completely stiff, muscles aching from holding them in position for so long. 

"Now back to the right. Move your left hand forward. A more neutral expression."

A series of flashes that are way too bright. More instructions. The guy behind the camera stresses and Eren's pretty sure he'd be tugging his hair right now if he had any. But Eren just can't focus properly. He's missing his shift at 104 for this photoshoot. Missing Levi's arrival. And he's pissed about it. He was really looking forward to seeing what all the uproar about this guy was. He doesn't even know him. Shouldn't let the club get in the way of his modelling. So why is it bothering him so much?

A phone rings and the man tells him to take five. He exits the room and Eren sighs, walks over to his bag and sits against the wall. 

"Hey, how's it going?" Marco asks. He's always cheerful and smiling no matter what time of the day it is. It's sickening yet familiar to him. Calming, almost.

"He's so... _intense_ ," hecomplains and Marco chuckles, handing him a bottle of water. 

"This is business, Eren." Marco pulls out his phone and sends a quick text. "You're going to have to learn to adapt."

"I  _can_ ," he stresses. "I've had worse than him but they are never satisfied with the results. What am I doing wrong?"

Marco hums and pulls up a chair. He sighs and scrolls through his Instagram. He has over twenty thousand followers and gains at least a hundred more each day thanks to his photos being published online and in magazines by professionals. 

"You need to channel pictures like these."

He looks up. Marco twists his phone so he can see it. It's one of the first pictures that got over five thousand likes when he started out. He's led on a white sheet scattered with rose petals. His head is turned to the right, looking away from the camera, his jawline fully exposed. Hair messy. Arms beside his head. Slightly parted lips. Sharp collar bones. He's hot, he knows that. 

His heart tugs. "I can't." He waits for the inevitable.

Marco scrolls through more of his photos. "You don't mention their name...who took these photos?"

There it is. 

He frowns and locks his phone. "No one important."

"But maybe if we get him shooting you again you'll find it easier to pose for more  _intense_ clients," Marco teases but he only shakes his head and walks away. No way - he can't.

"Drop it, Marco. I can do this."

The photographer strolls back in and messes with the settings on his camera before addressing him. "We ready to get it right this time?" he asks, clearly annoyed. 

"Of course." He follows the man's instructions perfectly and twists at just the right angles and adds his own interpretation to some of the positions. As distracted as he gets, when he hyper focuses, he does a damn good job. And he knows he is when the man's tone changes and he starts to make comments such as 'perfect' and 'hold it right there' rather than snapping and fussing about angles. 

Damn right he could do this without going back there...he is a model, and he's going to show everyone exactly what he can do.

Once the photo shoot is finished, it's nearing 8 pm and their flight leaves in two hours. Plenty of time to get something to eat and check back in at the hotel to grab their stuff. 

Marco doesn't mention the Instagram photos again and he's grateful. Things are pretty smooth on the flight back. Marco promises to keep him updated and tells him to take care of himself because he 'can't rely on genes to do all the work for him'. He laughs at that and bids him goodnight.

It's two in the morning by the time he finally gets home and he's careful to not wake Mikasa and Armin as he kicks off his shoes and carries his suitcase upstairs to his bedroom. He plugs his phone in and changes into a pair of sweatpants, deciding to get a shower in the morning, and leaves his suitcase carelessly in the middle of the room. As he climbs onto his bed, a ding echoes through the room, notifying him of a message from Isabel.

**Hey boo! How'd it go? Tonight is crazy. It's only Levi's second show and he's already wiping out most of the customers! Shame you couldn't be here to welcome him to the family :(**

_It went great :D I mean he didn't kick me out so that's a good sign. I just have to wait until the new line is published to see if my pictures made it_

_Also, it's fine. I'm sure he's not as good as everyone makes out_

**Oh honey, you don't know anything! But congratulations! Drinks on me if you make the cut! See you at work tomorrow???**

_Yep! See you then :)_

 

\---

 

Here's the thing. Eren's been to plenty of strip clubs. He's seen almost everything there is to see when it comes to routines and music and drinks. But the one difference about those previous clubs and his new place of work...

Guys.

He has a perfect view of the main stage from where the bar is situated on the back wall of the club. There are two smaller, squared stages just slightly forward, separated, mainly used when the strippers are not performing. The dancers that are there when a casual playlist is playing are still pretty popular but only until the real show comes on.

So from his workstation, he can see everything that happens. All the time. And Eren knows he isn't straight. Knows that he is extremely attracted to guys. Can't deny they are hot as fuck. He's had boyfriends. But damn. Take him to this club any day because these guys are  _Gods_. These are the guys he fantasizes about. And he gets  _paid_ to watch them perform. Oh, and serve drinks too.

"What can I get you?" He asks, turning to face the customer approaching the bar. And holy fucking shit he did not just let his jaw drop open. He definitely didn't fumble to catch the glass he was cleaning. And he most definitely did not say 'wow' as soon as he saw the man's face. 

Because he isn't even hot. He just has a simple black undercut. A sharp jawline...dark eyes...a very  _very_ interesting smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth...

"A Rose Maria." 

Shit, even his voice sends chills down his spine. Who the fuck is this guy anyway? Get it together.

 "You new here?" he asks as Eren passes him the drink. He must be a regular. He's pretty proud of himself for getting the order right without Isabel adding a bit more Absinthe before he serves it.

"You could say that," he replies and wipes down the counter. Things are pretty quiet so he might as well amuse the customer. He's easy on the eye too so that's a bonus. "I started working here about a week ago. First day back after two days off."

The man nods and tastes the drink. His expression is neutral and Eren's sure he fucked up the order somehow but the man's words prove otherwise. 

"This is pretty good brat, considering you've only been here a week."

He doesn't know what to say so he just nods and rearranges the bottles on the shelves, making sure everything is where it belongs. 

"So you haven't seen The Corporal yet?"

He snorts and looks over his shoulder. "The Corporal? What kind of name is that?"

The man smirks again, his eyes sparkling with amusement. Or maybe his eyes are just playing tricks on him. Obviously, it's the stage lights. No one's eyes  _sparkle_ for god sake...

"The new dancer." Eren rolls his eyes as he twirls his drink in his hands, holding it by the rim, which is strange but he doesn't question it. Each one to their own, right? He's sure that isn't what the saying is used for but it's hard to think straight with this guy around. Ha,  _straight_. He snorts at that and then coughs. 

"That Levi guy? Yeah, I missed his arrival. I don't understand what all the excitement is about though." He grabs a few glasses from under the bar and lines them up on the counter, knowing that the dancers will be out soon to get their usuals. "He's probably not even good. Probably just has a big dick that makes everyone thirsty and that's why he's so popular."

He spots Hanji making her way through the crowd and takes a final glance at the man. 

"Well, we'll have to wait and see about that, huh?" he grins and finishes his drink, Adam's apple bobbing in a way that Eren's gonna dream about tonight... "I'll ask again once you've seen him."

And with that, he turns on his heels and walks away. Leaves Eren staring at him as Hanji and Isabel corner him.

"Woooooow."

Isabel's droning brings him back to reality and he frowns at her, nodding his head toward the retreating figure. Very...small...figure.

"What the hell was that about?" 

Hanji smiles with a look of vague amusement. "You didn't realise that was Levi?"

Wait...

"When I said welcome him into the family, that isn't what I meant, Eren," Isobel teases. 

It all makes sense. Well, apart from the lack of a French accent. But his height, the mature yet sinister aura about him, the cockiness...he had just insulted Levi. The notorious French dancer. The new member of 104. Everyone's object of desire...

"Oh fuck."

Isabel and Hanji burst into laughter and Isabel pats him on the back. "It's alright. I'm sure you'll find a way to make it up to him."

"Like I want to." He huffs and crosses his arms. "He ordered his own drink. Narcissistic much?"

He grabs the glasses and starts to prepare everyone's drinks as they gather around the bar. Hanji doesn't hesitate to tell them about his fuck up and he scowls, purposely adding the wrong gin to their drink, smiling slightly when they screw their face up once they've tasted it.

"Quite the introduction, I must say." Erwin chuckles. 

"Shut up, old man," he growls, causing the group to laugh even more at his misery. God damn confident sexy people...

"Hey, you're only a few years younger than me!" Erwin downs his vodka and orders another. 

"Straight?" he asks, taking the glass and placing it in the bucket by his feet. He'd have to take that to the back soon to wash them. 

"Yeah. But for you I'll make an exception," he says, winks, takes the glass off him and turns back to one of the dancers - Petra if he remembers correctly. 

"Oh come on Erwin," Hanji chimes in. "Stop flirting. He's obviously got the hots for the shorty!"

"I do not!" he blurts and immediately looks at his crotch when Hanji's eyes flick down to it. And no, he doesn't have a boner. But his double check seems to confirm whatever they were thinking and the entire group laughs again. 

"Are you sure? You don't have to scream like a high school kid." Isabel throws the towel at his face and chuckles. "Come on, loverboy. Next push is about to come."

He turns without responding. Ignores the innuendos Hanji makes and grabs the half-full bucket before heading to the back room. It's nothing more than two sinks and a couple of cupboards for cleaning supplies and he knows Isabel would have noticed that the bucket doesn't need to be emptied yet. 

But he just needs a second. To get his shit together. 

It's not as if it's a big deal. He's made worse first impressions than that.

"He's up soon, wonder how he'll react," he hears Erwin say to the others. He ignores all the theories. Just washes the glasses. Throws the straws. Dries up.

It's fine.

He just needs a minute...or two.

 

\---

 

The woman he's serving curses and slides her tab off the counter, takes her drink and pushes her way to the front of the stage. He's confused for a moment as he sees almost everyone else do the same. Has something happened that he's completely oblivious to? Because that's happened once or twice. But he doesn't notice any change in the music. It's just another song blaring through the speakers. At first, he can't place the piano melody to a song. And with the others gone, he's left to ask Isabel.

"What the fuck is going on? Is there something I'm missing?" The song sounds kinda...depressing...

But Isobel's just slinging a towel over her shoulder, completely at ease as the lights dim, and the room darkens until there's a single spotlight on the stage, a shadow in the middle behind a curtain gently swaying. 

"You'll see." She smirks and leans against the counter with her arms folded, eyes locked on the stage. 

_\- We found each other -_

The music's slow but it doesn't stop the dancer from moving flawlessly, almost contemporary rather than the usual stripper moves he's seen the past couple of nights. 

_\- I helped you out of a broken place -_

Okay, yeah. This song's depressing. Definitely about a bad relationship. So why is everyone flocking to the stage like it's the most beautiful thing they've ever seen or heard? 

_\- You gave me comfort, but falling for you was my mistake -_

The dancer finally moves from his spot. He's still cast in darkness and the music is still disheartening. But for some reason, he can't take his eyes off him. 

_\- I put you on top, I put you on top. I claimed you so proud and openly -_

It's amazing how he can move like his limbs are half liquid in perfect rhythm and still look strong. It's slow but the way the hands dance elegantly across his body in a complete shadow is certainly working for him. 

_\- And when times were rough, when times were rough, I made sure I held you close to me -_

He must have looked away for a second, blinked or something because he's on the floor. He trails his fingers across his chest and stretches his legs, and that's when he realises that the guy's wearing heels. The dancer pushes himself up with a perfectly arched back, arms extended behind him. Walks closer to the front of the stage.

He has his suspicions that this is Levi. Knows this is what everyone has been raving about. He just doesn't seem to understand the song choice.

But then he hears the crescendo. Knows things are about to get interesting.

_\- So call out my name -_

He takes it all in with surprised curiosity. Sure, the song's still about unrequited love but as the song's tempo kicks in, the strong bass almost changes the beat of his heart to match it. And the dance suddenly becomes a lot more sexual than teasing. 

The lights flick on and cast a blue hue over the club, perfectly illuminating the smooth, pale skin hidden beneath a white shirt hanging from his shoulders. And okay. Damn. Levi is ripped. But not in a bodybuilder kind of way. In a way that they're tight and touchable and no less than what he expected from the man. 

And in perfect synchronisation to the first sudden bass, Levi drops into a squat and sways his hips to the side, repeating the process back and forth until the lyrics come again. There's a lot of screaming. A lot of notes thrown onto the stage and Levi hasn't even taken any clothes off. He's still in insanely tight pants and that white shirt, which he's sure is a statement to his earlier comment. 

And Eren can't help but stare as he works. He thrusts his hips toward the audience, bends at the waist, brings his hands up to flatten against his chest. He pushes the shirt further down his shoulders...those perfect shoulders, and works his way to his stomach, then lingers against his hip bones before retreating and running his hands through his hair as he drops to the floor. 

He's got the attention of everybody. Not a single person looking away for a second as he positions himself on his hands and feet, facing the ceiling and brings his knees in as his pelvis thrusts upwards. And then again facing the audience, this time his pelvis thrusting against the ground. 

And he finally gets it. Finally understands why Levi chose this song. He's so exposed, giving himself up so desperately...It's about lust. Pure, unadulterated lust. Wanting someone so badly that you let yourself go so easily. It's personal and all the sexier. Like you shouldn't really be watching but you just can't help yourself.

His facial expression remains the same. But his eyes...all someone has to do is look into them and they'll know exactly how erotic this dance is. It's the glare...it dares you to challenge him, see if you can take him...and if his libido had any say in the matter he'd be all over Levi like a rabbit in mating season.

He doesn't even realise that the music has changed and Levi is climbing down from the stage when Erwin taps his shoulder and raises an eyebrow at him. He can't think straight because Levi is heading _right towards him_ , buttoning up his shirt. It really shouldn't be as sexual as he's making it out to be. He has no idea what to say, he's panicking and it only gets worse because -

"You know, if you're still not into Levi I wouldn't mind helping you with that."

He looks down. No fucking way does he have a boner right now. This cannot be happening. There's no way this will go unnoticed by-

"Well, brat. What do you think of me now?"

A new voice joins them, the familiarity of it having Eren determined not to look his way. But he does. And he's pretty sure someone's just stabbed him because he can't breathe and he feels like he's about to throw up. It's the same face from when he insulted the new addition to the family yet this time there's a deeper meaning to the cocky grin and there's a darker intention hidden behind his words. 

He doesn't even realise what he's doing before he's turning on his heels and pushing past Isabel's knowing gaze - just fucking runs away from everything. 

It's only when he's sat in his car, hands poised to shove the keys in the ignition that the reality of what he just did dawns on him.

Wait.

What...the fuck.

What the actual _fuck?_

His pulse is still rapid. His heart is still heavy. He still feels like he's going to throw up...

What the hell does everyone think of him now? It was a simple question, he shouldn't be so worked up by it...so why did he fucking run away like a child?

He really should just go back in...face Levi...finish his job and then he can go home.

But there is no way he's ready to face the inevitable amount of shit-eating grins he's about to get the moment he steps foot into the bar. All of the sly comments and the awkwardness of answering Levi,  _especially_ when he got a fucking boner over him. And he wasn't even naked! That's definitely a new record for him. He's not that thirsty...is he?

No, there's no way he's dealing with that tonight. He's just gonna go home, crawl into bed and drown in his insecurities with his old friends Ben and Jerry. 

So he sends a quick text to Isabel, apologising, and starts the engine. Takes a deep breath and heads home.

He'll deal with this another day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Sorry I haven't been updating anything. I have been struggling recently and without going into much detail I'm going to need more professional help than people actually thought.
> 
> However, here is a re-write of chapter 2 because my lazy ass didn't bother checking it before I posted it last time!!  
> I hope you are still interested in this story. I can't wait to write more but as I said...I've been struggling so please be patient with me.
> 
> Also (side note) if anyone can recommend any Eren x Levi fics that will either make me cry because of all the angst and fluff or are simply really smutty hmu I can't find any I like ://
> 
> Hope you are all well!! <3

"So, how's the new job going?" Mikasa asks as she stirs the pasta on the stove. 

Armin is sat on the opposite side of the dining table, head in his books, studying for an exam. The faint sound of a studying playlist he had found at 4 am can be heard through his headphones. Once Armin started studying and Mikasa got hired, a deal was made that every night they would eat and spend some quality time together. Though with Armin's exams nearing, they let him off now and again with having his books at the table but made sure to drag him away and outside for regular breaks. They had become the perfect family, in Eren's opinion.

"It's going well," he replies. He's scrolling down his Instagram feed, liking pictures of Connie and Sasha's trip to Hawaii. It's mainly just them surround by a shit ton of food but there are a few cute pictures of Sasha admiring the views. They were together when he met them three years ago and they are practically one person with how well they work with each other.

He used to have a relationship like that.

"Has anyone recognised you yet?"

He shrugs. "I don't think so."

Mikasa eyes him gently. "You okay?"

"I'm not sure." He sighs and puts down his phone. He runs his fingertip over the initials carved into the bottom corner. "I guess I'm nervous about my shoot."

"You'll be fine, Eren," she says and turns off the pan. Eren sneaks from his chair to steal a piece of chicken and ducks away from the wooden spoon aiming for his head. "You got through the one at the Corps, didn't you?"

"Yeah...but I guess I'm just feeling a little off today." 

He kind of wants her to click...to understand what's bothering him. But then he really doesn't want to talk about it. He's stayed so strong for the past month. He's been doing better...

Mikasa finally dishes out their food; Armin pulls off his headphones, pushes his books to the side and sighs heavily.

"Exams haven't even started and I'm already wishing they would end."

Eren smiles and shoves a spoonful of pasta into his mouth. "Sucks to be you."

"Eren, don't talk with food in your mouth!" Mikasa scolds.

"Yes, mother," he replies and rolls his eyes at Armin who laughs.

"But seriously," he says. "Don't stress yourself out too much. Your health is so much more important! Just do the best you can but don't overdo it otherwise you will find it harder. We're behind you all the way."

Armin raises an eyebrow. "What did you do to my best friend?"

He laughs. "I'm not just a pretty face you know and I can be nice when I want to be!"

They all laugh and settle into comfortable silence as they eat their meals. It's times like this when Eren is extremely grateful for his friends. Yeah, he appreciates them when they surprise him with heartfelt gifts or when they're all arguing over who gets the bigger bedroom in the cabin but they all end up sleeping in the living room after movie nights anyway...but it's mainly when they are sat in silence doing their own thing in the same room when he truly realises that he couldn't live without them. It would just be lonely...lost...and he's always hated being alone.

 

\-------

 

It's decided. 

After almost two weeks of successfully avoiding Levi, he's going to man up and introduce himself properly. Apologise for being a dick to him.

It's Friday. He's on high alert. He wants to sort things out with Levi so that maybe he can feel a little better about their first meeting. After all, Levi's part of the 104 family now and he was starting to like it there. He didn't want a complaint about him put into Pixis and getting fired.

So when his shift rolls around and Levi enters the club, dressed as formally as ever, he straightens his tie and moves to speak to him. Only, he doesn't get too far before Isabel is dragging him back by his collar.

"Where do you think you're going? Your break isn't for another fifteen minutes."

"Come on Issy, aren't you constantly complaining about me avoiding Levi? I'm trying to change that." He throws her the most ridiculous puppy dog eyes he can muster and pouts when she throws a cloth at his face.

"Get back to work, Jaeger. You can play loverboy on your break."

He scoffs and picks up the already full bucket under the bar. "I'm not  _playing loverboy_ , I'm trying not to get fired."

"Uh huh, whatever you say," she replies and ignores him to start taking more orders.

He groans and walks to the back room to wash the glasses. It's fine. He'll just have to catch him later.

 

\--------

 

The bar's swamped tonight. He doesn't even have time to indulge himself in Hanji and Erwin's performances. Hey, self-care, right? There's a mixture of drinks. Three Negronis, Manhattan, Whiskey Sour, two Dry Martinis - which he was definitely  _not_ tempted to break the bad news to the customer that there is no such thing as a  _dry_ drink - and a shit load of Rose Maria's.

He's hardly slept. Came straight from a photo shoot. Isabel told him to take the day off but he had refused; they compromised and Eren got longer, more frequent breaks. 

It's nearing the end of his shift. He only has a couple of hours left and he hasn't seen Levi yet. The strobe lights are giving him a headache and the music volume really doesn't help. Maybe he should take Isabel's advice next time. Or even have at least four hours before coming in.

He takes the towel off his shoulder and throws it onto the shelf behind the counter, letting Isabel know he's going for a break. She waves at him and he takes that as his cue to slip through the back door. The cold air is refreshing and he presses his hand against his forehead as he leans against a wall, still able to hear the music from inside. It's quieter out back and the moon peeks just above the trees, not too bright and not too dull.

He can't wait to go to bed.

"You've been ignoring me." 

He's startled slightly and turns his head to the right to find Levi in almost the exact same position as him. He didn't even notice he was there. Huh.

"Uh...no?" Yes. He's totally been avoiding him and it's pretty obvious. He knows Levi knows that too.

"You sure about that?" 

He watches as Levi places his hand to his mouth and takes a long drag of a cigarette. And, although it's dark and he can't see that well, he stares as he purses his lips and softly blows out the smoke. 

"You want some?" He turns towards him, holding out the cigarette.

"Smoking's disgusting," he says with a grimace and Levi shrugs, taking another drag. But he still watches as his lips move and the smoke wafts in the air. It's almost mesmerising... Mesmerising but still disgusting.

"Am I going to get an answer?"

Eren looks back at Levi's face and frowns. "For what?"

Fuck, his head really needs to stop spinning.

"How's my dancing?"

Oh.

"It's good. You're good," he says and pointedly looks away from him. He closes his eyes gently. "I'm sorry...you know, about what I said to you when we first met."

All he gets is a grunt. Another breath of smoke.

Eren sighs quietly, shoulders relaxing. It doesn't seem as though Levi is too pissed at him...at least he hasn't punched him.

He trails his eyes over the man's outfit. He's ready for a dance, he guesses, in a typical police officer uniform. He'd noticed that Levi was slowly adapting to the style of the club and straying away from the more romantic routines. After all, the guy is French...is that stereotypical? 

Levi puts out his cigarette and crosses his arms. "What's your deal?"

"...huh?"

Levi rolls his eyes. "Why are you here? Working in a strip club?" he repeats, slower.

"Well, considering I've been dipping whenever you're around, I haven't really been doing much work lately."

Wait...

"So you admit that you  _have_ been avoiding me?" 

Shit, he really needs some sleep.

His cheeks flare up and he stutters over his denial, head growing heavier with each word said. That smirk is back and Eren would give anything to get rid of it. Preferably with his lips...no, he meant with his fist. Punch that dumb smugness off his face because he thinks he's so much better than anyone else.

He takes a deep breath. Holds out his arm. "Can we start over? Put all this behind us and just be friends?"

Levi looks at his hand, unamused, and pushes himself off the wall. Putting out the cigarette directly beside Eren's head, he walks straight past him and towards the door. "See you around, brat."

The music blares through the opening and muffles again once it's shut. Eren just stands there. And, okay. Levi's a dick. He shouldn't have even bothered in the first place. He drags his outstretched hand through his hair and takes a few more minutes before heading back inside.

"So, looks like you finally managed to speak to him then?"

He just shrugs and takes a customer's order. Isabel eyes him curiously as everyone starts flocking to the stage and he just turns to the register. It's not a big deal. He doesn't care about being friends with him. Their first impressions don't exactly paint them in the best light. But that doesn't mean he can't let his eyes rake over his body as he bites the handcuffs, letting them hang from his mouth, and starts to unbutton his pants as he rolls his hips to the beat. There's nothing wrong with admiring a dancer. That's all Levi is. 

Just another 104 dancer.

 

\------

 

Eren faceplants into his bed when he gets home. Luckily, he's able to fall asleep the moment his head hits the pillow - something he hasn't been able to do for a very long time. And everything is fine. Until he wakes up the next morning.

"Move your feet, jackass," Mikasa orders as she slaps his leg and throws herself on top of them when he doesn't listen.

"Ow, can you not see I'm dying here?" he whines from underneath the blanket he'd stripped from his bed to cocoon himself in. 

"You're not dying. You're exhausted."

"Same thing!"

Mikasa rolls her eyes and flicks through the TV channels, not bothering to turn the volume down even when he winces whenever someone shouts. Armin's up and moving like he didn't sleep just as badly as him. Eren stopped questioning how he does it a while ago.

"Here."

He pokes his head out of the covers and opens one eye, adjusting to the newly found brightness. The tell-tale scent of coffee has him reaching out a hand like a child wanting his favourite toy. Once the cup is in his hands, he brings it to his mouth gratefully and takes a well-needed sip.

"You must love me."

"Sometimes," is Armin's reply, though Eren knows he's only joking. He quietly moves to the arm of the sofa and ruffles his hair.

"How's the studying?" 

"It's fine. I've been offered a place at Sina and Trost."

"That's great news!" he says and Mikasa agrees.

"Which one are you going to choose?" 

Armin hums, fingers still raking through Eren's hair. "I'm not sure. Sina is the best hospital in the district but Trost is closer. I don't want to leave you guys."

Mikasa mutes the T.V and shakes her head. "Don't think about  _us_ , idiot. Do what's best for  _you_."

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure I've passed the stage of burning down the house by now!" Eren jokes and takes another sip of his coffee. 

Armin smiles at them both. "Thanks, guys. But I'm still thinking about it."

"Take all the time you need, Armin. We'll always be here for you."

"No matter what you choose."

 

\------

 

It's his turn to take inventory.

The club looks different in sunlight. Like a normal, everyday building opposed to what's behind the walls. He locks his car and fishes the keys he got off Isabel from his pocket.

When he reaches the front door, he hears a familiar bass. He knows this song. He's seen Erwin practising his routine for it a few times after hours.

There's a slight creak as he opens the door, pocketing the keys, but it's drowned out by the music.

He doesn't see Erwin when he walks in, assumes he's taking a break, so he just heads for the bar and lifts up the hatch, securing it in place with the hook on the wall. The clipboard is exactly where Isabel said it would be. He takes it and brushes his hair behind his ear, reading the first item.

After a few minutes, a voice calls him. "Eren, I didn't realise you were here."

He pauses, pen freezing halfway through marking off the fourth item. Turning to face Erwin with a smile, he waves the clipboard in the air. 

"Just taking inventory. I'll be out of your hair soon, don't worry."

The blonde chuckles and pulls off his tank top, throwing it over his shoulder carelessly. He takes a seat at the bar and pulls a remote out of his pocket to turn down the music slightly. "Care to pour me an Absolut Relief?"

Eren raises an eyebrow. "You do know when I'm taking inventory I'm supposed to see what we have and what we need, not use it?"

"What's one little drink gonna do?"

He places the clipboard on the counter and grabs a cloth to wipe down the glass and the wooden surface. "Why haven't you done it yourself?"

Erwin grins and wipes down his body with his shirt. "I don't know how to. Care to teach me for future reference?"

Eren rolls his eyes but grabs the ingredients anyway. He lays them out and points to each of them. "You need two parts Absolut Mandarin, one part -  _fresh_ \- blood orange juice, one part cranberry juice and one part raspberry liqueur."

Erwin nods and watches as he demonstrates how to make the drink. "Mix all the ingredients in the shaker with ice and shake vigorously."

"Oh, I'll be good at that part." Erwin winks and he laughs.

He strains the liquid into a cocktail glass and decorates it with a slice of blood orange before placing a straw in it and sliding it over to Erwin. "Voilà!"

"Thanks for the advice. You're gonna have to mark down that we need more of these ingredients."

Eren wipes down the counter again and starts to put the ingredients back in their rightful places. Glancing over his shoulder, he addresses Erwin with a stern look. "This is our little secret. I don't know how you learned to make that if you ever get caught."

He watches as Erwin takes another sip of the drink and smirks, running his fingers around the rim of the glass. "Don't worry, you're my favourite bartender. I won't snitch."

"What the hell is taking you so long?" A new voice cuts through the room as the changing room doors open. "I'm not waiting forever, old man."

Well shit.

Once Levi spots him, he almost drops the Absolute Mandarin and hurries to put it on the shelf. He's dressed in plain white jeans and a white shirt that's only buttoned halfway. Nothing extreme...but damn.

He looks between the two as Erwin tells Levi to stop being so impatient and swallows nervously. He's quick to focus on the list again and starts to mark off what they have and note down what they need to pass on to Pixis later that night. 

He can hear them behind him. Needs to distract himself but all he can think of is how he got a fucking boner over the man...wearing almost the same clothes he is now...

 He shakes his head. Focus.

5 bottles of Audemus.

They're definitely going to need some more Absinthe with Levi around.

4 bottles of Tequila and 2 blue agave plants

He doesn't have a fetish for clothes, does he?

Pineapple.

No. That's stupid. Levi's just given him a taste of what his body looks like underneath it all and he wants more.

Strawberry.

So much more...

Plenty of Vodka.

Straws. They need straws.

"Alright, take five and when I get back you'll show me what you've got," Erwin says as he pauses the music and throws Levi a towel.

The hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Levi calls for his attention. Takes a seat at the bar.

"Can you get me a cup of ice?"

Eren stares at him. Clutches the clipboard and pen tightly in his hands. If it was possible, his blood would freeze over and he'd drop everything he's holding. Because he's realising that they're alone. Together. No one else around them. Just a bar between them.

And it shouldn't feel this way. Eren's not that desperate. He's definitely imagining the sexual tension. He has to be. 

"Do I have something on my face?"

Oh. "Um...no, sorry. Ice. Got it."

He takes a cup and turns to the ice dispenser, mentally screaming at himself. Because. What the fuck is he playing at? He needs to stop acting so obvious. It's just Levi. And once he sees him strip properly then this stupid obsession will be over. But as he turns back to him, he's running a hand through his hair and his eyes are closed and  _fuck_ he can't stop his mind from turning it into something dirty.

He might have a problem.

"Here," he says. He's careful to not let their fingers brush as he takes the cup. This isn't going to turn into some shitty, cheesy high school chick-lit. No. 

He's learned that the cute relationships he's dreamed of since he was a child aren't real. Knows that things never go as planned. Knows the feeling of heartbreak all too well. He's not letting that happen to him again.

Also he just really doesn't trust himself to not pop another boner with the scenarios going through his head. He probably wouldn't...but still. He's always had a good imagination. And yeah...he may have been watching their new routine with some...provocative moves...which didn't exactly help.

Levi nods in response and, thankfully, Erwin walks through the door before he can say anything else. They retreat back to the stage, Levi taking his ice with him and Eren returns to taking inventory. No distractions this time. He'll just take it and then leave. Like he does every other time Erwin's there; he's quick to finish taking inventory and shoves the clipboard back in its place after ripping off the list of what they need.

He slips out without another word and heads to Isabel's to return the keys.

 

\--------

 

Mikasa's flat out on the sofa by the time he gets back after his shift that night. The TV is flickering against her face as she stirs and mumbles his name.

"Let's get you to bed," he says and helps her off the couch. 

She leans against him a bit too much and nearly sends them tumbling but Eren manages to keep them upright and grabs her blanket. 

"I told you to stop waiting up for me." He lays the cover on top of her and sighs when she kicks it off. "Stop acting like a child, Mika."

"You're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

"No trouble?"

"Go to sleep."

"Jus' looking out for you."

Eren smiles and leans down to kiss her forehead. 

"Goodnight."

He makes it to his room before his phone dies and plugs it in, carelessly throwing it onto his bed. He kicks off his shoes and drapes his tie over the door. He pauses in front of his mirror as he unbuttons his shirt. Levi's stood behind him. Staring at him through the mirror, slowly pulling his shirt from his shoulders.

He rips off the rest of his clothes and curls up in bed. He's just been through a breakup. He shouldn't be lusting after someone else - especially someone he's hardly even spoken to. He shouldn't. Not so soon.

But despite his inner conflict, his hand still creeps under the covers and he gasps, body arching the way it always does and he covers his mouth with his free hand.

He feels guilty.

Knows he's going to regret it the moment it's over.

He squeezes his eyes shut and pushes away the doubts. He feels dirty. But he's never felt so good. The images of his ex never felt this real. And he'd  _touched_ him. It may be because of his profession that Levi somehow stuck in Eren's mind like a static piece of fabric fresh out of the dryer, but that really can't be helped, can it? 

The darkness of his eyelids flashes white for a split second. He throws his head back and bites his hand to hold in his moans as he orgasms.

His eyes flutter open as he lies there panting quietly.

He lets his eyes drop closed again, bottom lip clutched between his teeth.  

This is going to be a bigger problem than he originally thought.


End file.
